NEW ORLEANS — Yesterday, inside a star-studded Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Panini America’s Tracy Hackler tackled the end-zone-to-end-zone madness that was Gatorade Super Bowl XLVII Media Day with two very special guests: Knight’s Lance junior reporter Billy Mertes and one box of 2012 Prizm Football.

Mertes, the 12-year-old seventh-grader from Faribault, Minn., won a contest on The Knight’s Lance to become Panini America’s official junior reporter yesterday — and the kid handled himself with all the veteran guile and go-getter attitude of Peter King or Adam Schefter. And as you’ll see in the video recap that follows, Mertes wasn’t the least bit afraid to ask the tough questions.

Of course, it didn’t hurt that the kid had packs of 2012 Prizm Football to give the players after his hard-hitting interviews. (Wait until you see Tommy Streeter’s reaction to seeing his Red Prizm Die-Cut for the first time.) To be sure, the cards and the conversations were more than enough to keep the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens gushing and gabbing.

You can check it all out in the video that follows. After that, stick around for a quick gallery, too.

Its gotta be truly a blessing to be able to be down there giving interviews and getting ready for the Super Bowl! I just wanna say congrats Tracy on having a job that most collectors and fans would go nuts over! You deserve it for all the hard work that u put in at Panini keep up the good work and keep living the dream!!!

Great Job BILLY! Hey at the 3:56 sec range he should have interviewed “Miss BAMA QB Girlfriend” K. Webb who was right behind him. — Hey Panini -Sign HER for a few CARDS!!!! Come on – think outside the box a little bit. Exclusive: Girlfriends of average QB’s.. The mini set could be epic.